The
split in the Imo State House of Assembly deepens by the day as the Speaker, Acho
Ihim, has said that the lawmakers at no time endorsed Governor Rochas
Okorocha’s Chief of Staff cum son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as the next governor come
2019.

His was responding to the claim by the
chairman, House Committee on Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development
Commission and Niger Delta Development Commission, Henry Ezediaro, who claimed
at a media briefing earlier that members of the Assembly have accepted and
endorsed Nwosu to succeed his father-in-law.

Ezediaro, who represents Oguta state
Constituency, had claimed that the entire 27 members of the Assembly were party
to the endorsement.

However, in a statement the Speaker
released through his chief press secretary, Marcel Ekwezuo, he denied the claim
and argued that Ezediaro must have been quoted out of context.

“I am constrained to debunk the news making
the rounds that the lmo State House of Assembly has unanimously endorsed
Ugwumba Uche Nwosu as the next governor of lmo State come 2019. Uche Nwosu is
one of our own and is eminently qualified to contest the governorship of our
dear state.

“No doubt, he is a member of the APC and a
citizen of lmo State and these therefore give him the right to vote and be
voted for. However, it needs be made clear that at no time did the members of
the lmo State House of Assembly which comprises elected members of the APC and
the PDP meet and endorse Ugwumba Uche Nwosu as our preferred governorship
candidate or any person for that matter.

“The job of elected members of the House of
Assembly is to make laws and make resolutions at the plenary that will impact
positively on the lives of the people of lmo State. Endorsement of candidates
for whatever position is not part of it.

“Each member is at liberty to have
preference for any aspirant of their choice but certainly not a House matter.
Its therefore mind-boggling that a distinguished honourable member is quoted to
have granted a press interview declaring that the 27 honourable members have
endorsed Ugwumba Uche Nwosu,” Ihim said.

He added that, “If Ugwumba is favoured by
God for this job then so be it. It is the duty of the APC as a party to produce
a candidate and if that candidate is Ugwumba Uche Nwosu then the Honourable
members of the APC extraction are duty bound to support the candidate.

“In
the light of the foregoing, l want to believe that Hon Henry Ezediaro who is at
liberty to personally support whoever he wants to support was quoted out of
context by saying the entire 27 members have endorsed Ugwumba Uche Nwosu and
even donated 27 buses also went further to dare Governor Anayo Rochas Okorocha.

“The entire lmolites are, therefore,
advised to discountenance the said publication as that of course is the figment
of imagination of the writer and has no bearing with the lmo State House of Assembly
and her revered members.”

It would be recalled that the House has
also been in disagreement when the governor was to present the state’s budget
to it.

A number of lawmakers had shunned the
event, even as the Speaker made desperate attempts to rally them to receive the
document from the governor.
Allegations of nepotism has continued to trail the government of Okorocha who
recently appointed his junior sister as the state’s Commissioner for Happiness
and Purpose Fulfillment.

Already the opposition in the state is
accusing him of trying to escape a probe into his shady deals by trying to
ensure his son-in-law succeeds him.